Crane for extracting horizontally-aligned relatively-long tube bundles

ABSTRACT

This disclosure teaches a hydraulic crane for removing a horizontally-aligned relatively-long tube bundle, along with its tube sheet, from its shell. A winch, connectable to the tube sheet by means of a horizontal line, extracts the tube bundle. The crane has a boom comprising a proximal, an intermediate and a distal section mounted successively in inwardly telescoping relationship. A first boom point with a first hoisting sling depends from the intermediate section of the boom to support the tube bundle as it is being extracted from the shell. A second boom point with a second hoisting sling depends from the distal section of the boom also to engage the tube bundle as it is extracted further from the shell. The boom points are spaced apart sufficiently so that the first and second slings span a major portion of the length of the tube bundle whereby the tube bundle can be suspended and balanced safely.

United States Patent Murphy 1 Apr. 25, 1972 CRANE FOR EXTRACTING HORIZONTALLY-ALIGNED RELATIVELY-LONG TUBE BUNDLES [72] Inventor: Thomas V. Murphy, 759 Long Hill Road,

Briarcliff Manor, NY. 10510 [22] Filed: Dec. 14, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 97,628

[52] U.S.Cl ..2l4/l P,2l2/7,2l2/55 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Frank E. Werner Att0rney-Charles E. Baxley, Frank M. Nolan and Thomas E. Tate 57 ABSTRACT This disclosure teaches a hydraulic crane for removing a horizontally-aligned relatively-long tube bundle, along with its tube sheet, from its shell. A winch, connectable to the tube sheet by means of a horizontal line, extracts the tube bundle. The crane has a boom comprising a proximal, an intermediate and a distal section mounted successively in inwardly telescoping relationship. A first boom point with a first hoisting sling depends from the intermediate section of the boom to support the tube bundle as it is being extracted from the shell. A second boom point with a second hoisting sling depends from the distal section of the boom also to engage the tube bundle as it is extracted further from the shell. The boom points are spaced apart sufficiently so that the first and second slings span a major portion of the length of the tube bundle whereby the tube bundle can be suspended and balanced safe- 2 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure CRANE FOR EXTRACTING I'IORIZONTALLY-ALIGNED RELATIVELY-LONG TUBE BUNDLES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to petroleum refineries, chemical plants and other similar installations which include among their equipment horizontally-aligned relatively-long tube and shell assemblies. Maintenance operations require extracting tube bundles from their shells for inspecting, repairing and/or cleaning the assemblies. As a tube bundle is extracted, its weight and inherent lack of flexural strength cause substantial deflections which can result in damage to the tubes and their connections. Prior practice for extracting horizontally-aligned relatively-long tube bundles was to employ a horizontal hoist and two cranes. Accordingly, extracting such tube bundles by the prior practice required three pieces of equipment with three operators and other personnel to coordinate operations. Unless the extracting technique was carried out with extreme precision, damage to tubes and connections resulted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention copes with extracting horizontallyoriented relatively-long tube bundles from their shells in a novel and facile way. A hydraulic crane is provided, in addition to its usual boom point and hoisting means, with an additional boom point and hoisting means mounted under the intermediate boom section. As a tube bundle is extracted horizontally from its shell by means of a winch, the two hoisting means with suitable slings support the tube bundle at point spaced sufficiently apart along its length, so that the bundle is suspended therefrom. Accordingly, one object of this invention is to permit extracting of horizontally-oriented relativelylong tube bundles from their shells using a single item of equipment.

A further object of the invention is to permit extraction of horizontally-oriented relatively-long tube bundles without damage to the tubes or their connections.

A still further object of the invention is to permit extraction of horizontally-oriented relatively-long tube bundles with less personnel required than by the prior practice.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a crane of the character stated which is self propelled and maneuverable whereby it is capable of reaching and working in relatively inaccessible locations of plants.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a crane of the character stated which can balance and suspend tube bundles between slings which are spaced apart, pick up, swing and transport the bundles for placement on a platform, truck or other vehicle so that the bundles can be removed easily to another area for inspecting, cleaning and/or repairing them.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a crane of the character stated which can be used for reinsertion of horizontally-aligned relatively-long tube bundles into their shells.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a crane of the character stated which is capable of conventional service when not being used for extracting tube bundles.

DRAWING The foregoing and other features of the invention will be seen more fully from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with an accompanying drawing of a crane according to this invention shown in the operation of extracting a horizontally-oriented relatively-long tube bundle from its shell.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Tube and shell assemblies are very popular for such services as heat exchangers, condensers and the like and this type of assembly finds wide application in petroleum refineries and chemical plants as well as other similar installations. Pressure drop, efficiency of heat transfer, economy and structural considerations generally favor horizontally-oriented relativelylong tube and shell assemblies with U-shaped tubes engaged in sealed relationship with tube sheets for passage of a tube-side fluid therethrough. A head is generally engaged in sealed relationship with a tube sheet and accommodates introduction and removal of the tube-side fluid to and from the U-shaped tubes. A shell-side fluid enters and leaves via openings provided in the shell.

To facilitate inspecting, repairing and cleaning; tube and shell assemblies are designed for extracting the tube bundle along with its tube sheet from the shell. Toward this objective, the head is usually removable and upon its removal, the present invention comes into play. As shown in the drawing, shell and tube assembly 1 has shell 2, intermediate floating tube supports 3 and end tube sheet 4 to which ends of U- shaped tubes 5 are connected in sealed engagement. The assembly is also provided with a head (not shown) for introducing and removing tube-side fluid. Intermediate tube supports 3 are extracted along with end tube sheet 4 and tubes 5, but intermediate tube supports 3 present no particular problem. However, it should be noted here that loss of support from intermediate tube support 3, experienced when a tube bundle 5 is extracted, increases the unsupported span of tube bundle 5 thereby aggravating deflections which bundle 5 undergo and gives rise to danger of tube bundle 5 getting hung up or having tubes 5 or connections between tubes 5 and end tube sheet 4 damaged.

Crane 6 is generally known as a hydraulic crane and its design is well known, except for modifications according to the present invention. Crane 6 is self propelled with four wheel drive and four wheel steering. Boom 7 is mounted on body 8 of crane 6 by means of shippers 9 and turntable 1 I and is comprised of proximal section 12, intermediate section 13 and distal section 14 mounted telescopically inward of each other in series. To regulate boom length, proximal section 12 is provided with a hydraulic ram for projecting intermediate section 13 therefrom a desired amount and likewise to regulate boom length intermediate 13 is provided with a hydraulic ram for projecting distal section 14 therefrom a desired amount. The hydraulic rams for regulating boom lengths are of conventional design and operation. Boom 7 also may be provided with jib 15 and swing line 16 with headache ball 17.

It is desired to suspend tube bundle 5 at a plurality of points along its length. In addition to conventional boom point 18 mounted on distal section 14 at the end thereof remote from body 8, there is provided another boom point 19 mounted under intermediate section 13 at the end thereof remote from body 8. Boom point 19 depending from intermediate section 13 is herein referred to as the first boom point because it comes into play first and boom point 18 on distal section 14 is herein referred to as the second boom point. Each of the boom points 18 and 19 is provided respectively with a sling 21 and 22, hookblock 23 and 24 and a lifting mechanism all of known design and operation. The lifting mechanism associated with the first boom point is referred to herein as the first lifting mechanism and the lifting mechanism associated with the second boom point is referred herein as the second lifting mechanism.

Tube bundle 5 is extracted by winch 25 mounted on body 8 and connected to end tube sheet 4 by means of eye bolt 26 connected thereto and line 27 which is arranged to pull horizontally. In order to support tube bundle 5 as it emerges from shell 2, sling 22 encircles tube bundle 5 at 28, is connected to hookblock 24 and is suspended by means of first boom point 19 and the first lifting mechanism. Intermediate section 13 of boom 7 is drawn into proximal section 12 as winch 25 extracts tube bundle 5. When a major portion of tube bundle 5 is out of shell 2, sling 21 encircles tube bundle 5 at 29 is connected to hookblock 23, and is suspended by means of second boom point 18 and the second lifting mechanism. On clearing shell 2 crane 6 has tube bundle 5 balanced in suspension from slings 22 and 21 so that it may be turned, transported, lifted and/or lowered to a platform, truck or othervehicle for being moved to another area where it may be worked on with convenience.

Tube bundle 5 can be reinserted into shell 2 by the converse of the foregoing procedure, with a pushing force substituted for winch 25.

It will be understood by those familiar with rigging and lifting or those familiar with cranes, that wide deviations may be made from the preferred embodiment of this invention described herein without departing from the main theme of invention set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A crane for extracting horizontally-aligned relatively long tube bundles, comprising a tube sheet with U-shaped tubes connected thereto, from a shell and comprising in combination:

a'body provided with means for driving and maneuvering the body,

a boom mounted on the body and comprising a proximal section near the body as well as an intermediate section and a distal section remote from the body,

the intermediate section mounted telescopically within the proximal section and the distal section mounted telescopically within the intermediate section,

first boom-length regulating means for moving the intermediate section relative the proximal section and second boom-length regulating means for moving the distal section relative the intermediate section,

a winch connectable by means of a horizontal line to the tube sheet for extracting the tube sheet and the tube bundle from the shell,

a first boom point mounted on the intermediate section remote from the body and provided with a first hoisting means,

a first sling arranged for embracing the tube bundle and attached to the first hoisting means to provide a first support for the tube bundle as it is extracted from the shell,

a second boom point mounted on the distal section remote from the body and provided with a second hoisting means,

a second sling arranged for embracing the tube bundle and attached to the second hoisting means to provide a second support for the tube bundle as it is extracted further from the shell,

the second boom-length regulating means organized to space the first and second boom points apart sufficiently to permit the first and second slings to span a major portion of the length of the tube bundle.

2. The crane of claim 1 with the winch mounted on the body. 

1. A crane for extracting horizontally-aligned relatively-long tube bundles, comprising a tube sheet with U-shaped tubes connected thereto, from a shell and comprising in combination: a body provided with means for driving and maneuvering the body, a boom mounted on the body and comprising a proximal section near the body as well as an intermediate section and a distal section remote from the body, the intermediate section mounted telescopically within the proximal section and the distal section mounted telescopically within the intermediate section, first boom-length regulating means for moving the intermediate section relative the proximal section and second boom-length regulating means for moving the distal section relative the intermediate section, a winch connectable by means of a horizontal line to the tube sheet for extracting the tube sheet and the tube bundle from the shell, a first boom point mounted on the intermediate section remote from the body and provided with a first hoisting means, a first sling arranged for embracing the tube bundle and attached to the first hoisting means to provide a first support for the tube bundle as it is extracted from the shell, a second boom point mounted on the distal section remote from the body and provided with a second hoisting means, a second sling arranged for embracing the tube bundle and attached to the second hoisting means to provide a second support for the tube bundle as it is extracted further from the shell, the second boom-length regulating means organized to space the first and second boom points apart sufficiently to permit the first and second slings to span a major portion of the length of the tube bundle.
 2. The crane of claim 1 with the winch mounted on the body. 